"...while Blue Monday has been comprehensibly debunked, it should not be confused with a similar-sounding, but very real phenomenon...(Seasonal Affect Disorder)" https://www.newsweek.com/blue-monday-2022-date-depressing-day-year-1667319
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Autism Forums
tree
Hazel_1914
Oops! Debunked. Thanks @tree; I don't want to confuse folks.
S.A.D. is interesting & I wonder how did people deal with that before they invented sun lamps?
S.A.D. is interesting & I wonder how did people deal with that before they invented sun lamps?
Flown
I didn't have a SAD lamp until my mid-30s, and I had multiple major breakdowns (in my mental/physical health) before I realized what was happening. I was diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder (along with some other diagnoses) in 2006. I had been living in Seattle for a year at that point, and we ended up moving because I could not cope with the amount of dreariness in the Pacific Northwest.
Flown
Vitamin D supplementation and getting out in the woods/hiking (when I'm able) are really good tools (along with my SAD lamp, of course).
Hazel_1914
That is interesting @Flown.
I don't have a sun-lamp and figure I don't need one, but the idea of movig out & staying active sounds pretty good. I wonder then how much of SAD is connected with the sedentary lifestyle. This stuff is all very interesting--
I don't have a sun-lamp and figure I don't need one, but the idea of movig out & staying active sounds pretty good. I wonder then how much of SAD is connected with the sedentary lifestyle. This stuff is all very interesting--
Flown
Even at my most active, SAD has been a struggle. I've know many athletes with the condition as well. SAD increases melatonin / decreases serotonin levels as a result of low light levels. There can be genetic factors at play as well. Serotonin can absolutely be boosted by exercise, but I wouldn't say it is a cure-all for this condition. Self-care (exercise/movement included) in general is helpful.